Duplicate Library name

Layout Footprints
#1

Hi, I am new at Kicad (coming from Eagle) and I’m working on a test / learning project where I am using SMD capacitors.
Since the footprint I need was not in the footprint Capacitor_SMD library (I need a 6.6x6.6), I decided to create a project-specific library for the missing size(s). I probably made the mistake to give it the same name (Capacitor_SMD). The library was then listed in the footprints, but was empty and although I removed the project- specific library, the global Capacitor_SMD is still coming up empty…
I went to look at the content of the footprints database and everything is there, although not showing up in the application…

Is there an easier fix than re-installing everything?

Thanks,

Michel

#2

I’m not so sure about that. you may have discovered a bug in KiCad. I also created an empty library with the name Capacitor_SMD, and this hides KiCad’s own library. This may be on purpose, so you can override KiCad’s default libraries, but I’m not sure how KiCad should handle this.

To get the original library back, you do not have to delete your own library, but you must remove the link to you library from your project configuration.
Project Manager / Preferences / Manage Footprint Libraries / Project Specific Libraries, and then select the link to your library and press the garbage bin Icon to remove it.

To test this, I used KiCad:

Application: KiCad

Version: 6.0.10-86aedd382b~118~ubuntu20.04.1, release build

Libraries:
	wxWidgets 3.0.4
	libcurl/7.68.0 OpenSSL/1.1.1f zlib/1.2.11 brotli/1.0.7 libidn2/2.2.0 libpsl/0.21.0 (+libidn2/2.2.0) libssh/0.9.3/openssl/zlib nghttp2/1.40.0 librtmp/2.3

Platform: Linux 5.15.0-57-generic x86_64, 64 bit, Little endian, wxGTK, xfce, x11

Build Info:
	Date: Dec 18 2022 19:39:35
	wxWidgets: 3.0.4 (wchar_t,wx containers,compatible with 2.8) GTK+ 3.24
	Boost: 1.71.0
	OCC: 7.5.2
	Curl: 7.86.0
	ngspice: 36
	Compiler: GCC 9.4.0 with C++ ABI 1013

Build settings:
	KICAD_USE_OCC=ON
	KICAD_SPICE=ON
#3

Thank you. I followed your instructions and removed the link . The global library is once again visible. I re-created a new project library with a similar name plus my initial and everything is OK.
This said, it was a confusing situation, compounded by the fact that no warning was issued regarding the duplicated name.

Thanks again

Michel

Copy of the version information:
Application: KiCad Schematic Editor (64-bit)

Version: (6.0.8), release build

Libraries:

  • wxWidgets 3.1.7*
  • libcurl/7.83.1-DEV Schannel zlib/1.2.12*

Platform: Windows 10 (build 19044), 64-bit edition, 64 bit, Little endian, wxMSW

Build Info:

  • Date: Sep 29 2022 00:21:26*
  • wxWidgets: 3.1.7 (wchar_t,wx containers)*
  • Boost: 1.79.0*
  • OCC: 7.6.0*
  • Curl: 7.83.1-DEV*
  • ngspice: 37*
  • Compiler: Visual C++ 1929 without C++ ABI*

Build settings:

  • KICAD_USE_OCC=ON*
  • KICAD_SPICE=ON*